ZoomH2n Recorder

[dixons]

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of this recorder (see http://www.zoom.co.) and, if so, can they tell me if it can download directly to Casablanca 4000?

Thank you,

dixons

[videojim]

I have one, yes. I have had to record first as a 44.1 wav, and then as a highest level MP3. Have both recorded on the mem card. Then, I just stick the card in a card reader with USB plug into my S6K. Worked fine. Though I am told the Cassie will see the wav, I record both type files and have them on the memcard when I take it out of the H2.

[dixons]

Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to offer such detailed advice. Some of the steps are a wee bit too technical for this octagenarian I'm afraid! I had been hoping that a simple, straightforward download would be possible but I should have remembered that the words Casablanca and simple don't always sit well together!

All things being equal, I had intended to use it to record speeches etc at a wedding so it's back to the drawing board for me I guess.

Thanks again.

dixons

[Alan]

I have the S4000pro and also the tascam portable digital recorder. Set to record MP3 files It works for me. When I want to transfer to the Cassi I just pug into the machine with the provided USB cable and record the files. It should be the same with other makes of recorder.

Cheers Alan.

[CKNewman]

You don't have to use the USB interface. No matter what settings you use for recording, WAV or MP3, you can always get audio from the Zoom to editor by using the Line out/Headphone jack on the side of the H2n. You should be able to purchase an adapter cable with a stereo mini plug for the Zoom output on one end and right and left RCA audio plugs for the Casablanca input on the other end. You want to control the audio level using the Casablanca input level controls more than the Zoom output (headphone volume), so don't turn up the Zoom playback volume too high or you may overload (and distort) the audio being sent to the Casablanca.

You should know how to control the Zoom recorder's recording level - you don't want it too low or too high. How close will you be to the person(s) speaking? Closer is better. Remember to watch the counter numbers to make sure it's recording!

I would suggest that you search out Zoom H2n recorder using an internet search engine like Google or Bing or going to the site http://www.youtube.com and typing Zoom H2n recorder into the search bar on the top of the Youtube page. There will be a number of results including some with videos that will help to familiarize you with this unit.

Lastly, if you haven't yet purchased this unit, you might consider the entry level unit, the Zoom H1 for about $100 US.

[dixons]

Thank you all sincerely for your suggestions. Based on your assurances that unit is compatible with Casa, I have ordered one from Amazon and will try out each suggestion when I start using it.

regards,

dixons

[CKNewman]

I think that the Zoom recorder will serve you well, but you should practice with it and study the manual a bit. You should have no problem synching the audio to the video with shorter segments like speeches at weddings, but with longer recorded segments there may be some audio drift (at least there is with my Smart Edit machine). Let us know how it works out for you!

[LouBruno]

Craig, is it tedious to match up lip sync?

[CKNewman]

It can be a bit time consuming, depending on how much audio drift you're dealing with. I've found that when going out of a small Sony MP3 recorder's headphone jack (not the Zoom recorder) and into the audio in jacks on my Smart Edit machine, that I have to re-sync the audio every half hour or so. I adjust, watch and listen, and then re-adjust until I'm satisfied. I did try loading the MP3 files into a PC, burning a CD, and then loading it into my editor, but found that there was more drift than using the headphone jack on the recorder. YMMV

[videojim]

The zoom recorder line was bought up by Samson, and their site has all the goodies on it. I downloaded a manual for mine some time back, and got better acquainted with it.